Impact's Sebrango announces retirement

Featured

Related Stories

By Rudi Schuller

Forward Eduardo Sebrango has decided to hang up the boots after a career that started back in the early 90's in his home country of Cuba.

After 14 seasons in North American soccer, Montreal Impact striker Eduardo Sebrango has announced his retirement from the professional game.

“I’m happy and comfortable with my decision,” Sebrango said in a statement released by the Montreal Impact. “I’m satisfied with my whole career and my accomplishments. I’m ending a career as a player but it’s the beginning of a new one. I’m thankful towards the Montreal Impact for giving me my first chance and for trusting in me for MLS."

The 39-year-old Cuban native, who immigrated to Canada in 1999 and has since become a Canadian citizen, played several years with his hometown club FC Sancti Spiritis before joining the Vancouver Whitecaps in the second division A-League.

Sebrango quickly became a star in North America's second tier, with his goalscoring exploits leading him to play for Rochester, Hershey, and Montreal. In his travels throughout the second division, he won five championships and racked up enough points to stand as second overall in all-time scoring.

Although the striker had stints with two American clubs, it is with Montreal and Vancouver where he made his name, having split nearly a decade's worth of seasons with the second division clubs in those two cities.

Sebrango briefly retired in early 2011 only to rejoin the Impact halfway through that club's final season in the NASL. His play in those final months and in Montreal's first MLS preseason earned him a spot on the Impact's inaugural MLS side, with whom he played seven regular season matches.

"I have enjoyed every minute I played in the first division," he said. "This experience in MLS and the opportunity to play with star players like Alessandro Nesta, Nelson Rivas, Matteo Ferrari and Marco Di Vaio was the icing on the cake.”